Homecoming is a short story from the Witch Eyes series written by Scott Tracey, which serves as a shot prequel of the first book of the series, howeveHomecoming is a short story from the Witch Eyes series written by Scott Tracey, which serves as a shot prequel of the first book of the series, however this short story should be read after Witch Eyes – the first book.
The short story is set prior to the first book. Set a year before, Braden Michaels, more than anything, wants to have a friend or two, but being a witch in training and homeschooled makes that yearning difficult to achieve – without a charisma spell, which backfires tremendously.
Homecoming is written moderately well. There wasn't much meat to this story, but it was a quick read and it is short and sweet. The narrative is rather simplistic and straightforward and shows a nice insight to the main protagonist in Braden Michaels. In short, it is a decent introduction to the series and the main protagonist, but not crucial to the series if missed.
All in all, Homecoming is a moderately written short story about the life and times of Braden Michaels a year before his life-changing event that happens in the core series. It is also a good addition to the Witch Eyes universe, albeit it is not necessarily needed to be read.
Merged review:
Homecoming is a short story from the Witch Eyes series written by Scott Tracey, which serves as a shot prequel of the first book of the series, however this short story should be read after Witch Eyes – the first book.
The short story is set prior to the first book. Set a year before, Braden Michaels, more than anything, wants to have a friend or two, but being a witch in training and homeschooled makes that yearning difficult to achieve – without a charisma spell, which backfires tremendously.
Homecoming is written moderately well. There wasn't much meat to this story, but it was a quick read and it is short and sweet. The narrative is rather simplistic and straightforward and shows a nice insight to the main protagonist in Braden Michaels. In short, it is a decent introduction to the series and the main protagonist, but not crucial to the series if missed.
All in all, Homecoming is a moderately written short story about the life and times of Braden Michaels a year before his life-changing event that happens in the core series. It is also a good addition to the Witch Eyes universe, albeit it is not necessarily needed to be read....more
The Golden Hour is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Niki Smith. After witnessing a brutal attack against his art teacher, young Manuel Soto The Golden Hour is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Niki Smith. After witnessing a brutal attack against his art teacher, young Manuel Soto struggles to cope with the trauma and anxiety that shadow him.
After saving his art teacher from an armed attacker at school, Manuel Soto, a Latinx aspiring photographer, copes with PTSD with the help of a therapist and his single mother. Specifically, Manuel takes pictures on his phone's camera to anchor him during frequent dissociative episodes.
In art class, Manuel befriends two tablemates, both agriculture enthusiasts raising animals for the country fair. Sebastian cares for a calf on his family farm, while Caysha sees to fancy chickens at her grandparents' house.
The Golden Hour is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but it comes rather close. Smith slowly builds a tender romance between Manuel and Sebastian, where Manuel assists Sebastian with his calf, and Sebastian helps Manuel through an episode. With a soft start and a gentle build, Smith’s graphic novel details the realities of Manuel's trauma response while reveling in subdued, generous scenes that showcase the three friends' everyday joys. Dark grayscale scenes in angular, fractured panels convey the PTSD episodes in contrast to otherwise painterly full-color illustrations. Back matter further contextualizes PTSD, anxiety, and the grounding techniques Manuel employs.
All in all, The Golden Hour is an exceptionally graceful and delightful graphic novel about PTSD, anxiety, and first love....more
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History is a middle grade picture book anthology of mini-biographies written by Sarah Prager andRainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History is a middle grade picture book anthology of mini-biographies written by Sarah Prager and illustrated by Sarah Papworth. It is a colorful compendium, which covers fifty boundary-breaking LGBTQ+ figures from across history and around the globe.
For the most part, this anthology is written and constructed rather well. Arranged in alphabetical order by first name, each tribute receives a two-page biography with a straightforward one-page biography that includes an account of how they changed the world, broke a barrier, or fought for LGBTQ+ rights and is accompanied by vivid, full-page, blocky illustrations. Backmatter includes a timeline, LGBTQ+ flags and symbols, selected bibliography.
Prager had chosen fifty influential people from all walks of life and covering many spheres of influence. The selection showcases a diversity of races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities, with some minor gaps as there are no intersex examples or those from East-Asian countries. Despite this oversight, it does not diminish the book’s fundamental value as a resource for young people.
All in all, Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History is an exciting if uneven volume that offers much for inquisitive kids seeking LGBTQ+ information....more
She Who Became the Sun is the first book in The Radiant Emperor series written by Shelley Parker-Chan. It gives the historical Red Turban Rebellion a She Who Became the Sun is the first book in The Radiant Emperor series written by Shelley Parker-Chan. It gives the historical Red Turban Rebellion a grim-dark fantasy twist.
After bandits kill Zhu Chongba's father in 14th-century China, Zhu dies of grief without ever having fulfilled the destined greatness that was foreseen at his birth. Instead, his purposefully never-named sister takes on her brother's identity and his fate.
The new Zhu's tenacious will to survive and desire for glory leads her to become first a Buddhist monk, then a commander in the rebel army attempting to overthrow Mongol rule of China and results in continual clashes with an antagonist to whom her fate is inexorably intertwined – the eunuch General Ouyang.
For his part, Ouyang is not about to let a no-name monk distract him from a revenge plot a lifetime in the making, leading to a Machiavellian series of bargains and battles between the two.
She Who Became the Sun is written rather well. Parker-Chan has created a wonderful Asian-inspired historical fiction, which successfully takes the reader back in time. However, her unrelentingly grim view of humanity does bogs down the middle of the narrative, though her nuanced exploration of gender identity and striking meditation on bodily autonomy set this fantasy apart.
All in all, She Who Became the Sun is written rather well and is a wonderful beginning to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future....more
Tidesong is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Wendy Xu. It centers on a legacy of magic, which binds two aspiring hopefuls from different worTidesong is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Wendy Xu. It centers on a legacy of magic, which binds two aspiring hopefuls from different worlds together.
Aspiring witch Sophie Wu is determined to nail her Royal Magic Academy audition. She is part of the Wu clan, whose lineage included a dragon-human pairing, and whose descendants retain powers over storm and sea.
Sophie is excited to spend a year studying in Shulan, a quaint harbor town accessible by ferry, with her contemptuous great-aunt, Auntie Lanny, and young, ever-patient, feline-like aunt Sage – an Academy alumna. However, Auntie's harsh discipline amplifies Sophie's deep desire to prove herself and in the midst of an ill-advised ocean-side experiment, Sophie's magic becomes entangled with that of Lir, the horned, amnesiac son of a powerful dragon, who now can't shift back from his human form.
Tidesong is written and constructed rather well. In fluid, Studio Ghibli inspired graphic panels, scenes of smartly paced action follow Sophie's continuing pattern of mishaps and self-recrimination, and she encounters the first stirrings of wholesome romance with gentle, refined Lir. Though the magic tutelage theme is familiar ground, Xu gives her solo debut fresh allure with richly evoked Chinese mythology.
All in all, Tidesong is a fun and fantastical adventure for a middle-grade graphic novel....more
Take Me with You When You Go is a contemporary with science fiction elements co-written by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven. It centers on two teenagTake Me with You When You Go is a contemporary with science fiction elements co-written by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven. It centers on two teenage siblings, who desperately search for ways to escape a toxic domestic situation.
When 15-year-old high school freshman Ezra "Ez" Ahern's 18-year-old senior sister Beatrix "Bea" Ahern disappears from their Indiana hometown, he feels lost, left alone with their abusive mother and stepfather. As Bea starts a new life and uncovers hidden family history in St. Louis, Ezra struggles to leave his parents and be honest with his boyfriend Terrence, who is Black. Matters reached a boiling point for each of the siblings until the only way for them to save themselves is to confront their fear and break their silence.
Take Me with You When You Go is written rather well. Thoughtful observations and difficult truths abound in Bea's and Ez's story, which alternates between their viewpoints and is told entirely via their emails, as they grapple compellingly with their trauma. However, the delivery relies on philosophizing instead of letting the narrative speak for itself, but it is the compassionate portrayal of the pain of childhood abuse and the difficulty of escaping it more than compensates for it.
All in all, Take Me with You When You Go is a wrenching, albeit logorrheic, epistolary portrait of a dysfunctional family....more
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a contemporary romance written by Marianne Cronin. It centers on Lenni Pettersson, who is terminally ill,The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a contemporary romance written by Marianne Cronin. It centers on Lenni Pettersson, who is terminally ill, a long-term, motherless patient rarely visited by her father. However, in her final months, she gathers a new family of quirky characters who inhabit Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital.
Lenni Pettersson is dying from an unspecified illness. During her stay as a patient at Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital, she befriends Margot Macrae, an 83-year-old dying of heart disease. After an art therapist named Pippa shows Lenni how to paint, an idea slips into her mind – she suggests that she and Margot make 100 paintings illustrating their cumulative years of life.
Meanwhile, Margot's life story gradually emerges in chapters from her point of view. She has been in love with a woman named Meena since before she met her husband, who has since died, and decides that if her surgery goes well she will meet Meena in Vietnam and accept her marriage proposal.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is written rather well. Cronin not only embellishes Lenni’s brief sojourn with Margot's dramatic adventures, but also nimbly avoids drifting into sentimental clichés. So as Lenni's health declines, Margot's stories chase her true love through a broken marriage, criminal escapades, unexpected liaisons, and even a lost chicken story intensifies. While the narrative voice sometimes feels a bit too jejune for a 17-year-old, the story offers plenty of uplifting wisdom.
All in all, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a whimsical, joyous portrait of the ends of things....more
Nubia: Real One is a graphic novel written by L.L. McKinney, illustrated by Robyn Smith with a forward written by Dhonielle Clayton. It centers on a NNubia: Real One is a graphic novel written by L.L. McKinney, illustrated by Robyn Smith with a forward written by Dhonielle Clayton. It centers on a Nubia L'Shae Johnson – a typical black teenaged girl with the untypical ability of super-strength.
Nubia is a typical Black American teenage girl who lives with her two over-protective mothers, hangs out with her friends at the convenience store, loves the pizza in the school cafeteria, has an infatuation, and having super strength, which she has to keep secret at any and all cost. Besides her superhuman strength, Nubia is quite the typical Black American teenage girl dealing with racial inequality, school violence, police brutality, and hyper-masculine bullies.
While she wishes that she could use her super-strength for good, Nubia has been taught NOT to use her powers and not to draw attention. Her mothers have worked hard to drive the point that being Black means some people would see her as a threat – not a hero, which seem to be true as every time she uses her strength doesn't end well for her.
When Nubia uses her super strength to help a friend, she is hesitant to tell her moms, afraid of what they will say to her, afraid of what she has done. In the past, when her super-strength was revealed, her mothers would move to a new place, where no one knew them, starting over. However, she likes the life she has now.
Nubia: Real One is written and constructed rather well. McKinney's script crackles with authentic, witty dialogue, as well as adolescent angst and energy, and Smith's art is refreshingly far afield from standard superhero fare, albeit a tad one-note. That realness also means McKinney and Smith consider and convey what life might actually be like for a super-powered young black woman, as Nubia wrestles with things like police suspicion and brutality, sexual harassment and assault, racism, Black Lives Matter protests, and even a school shooting.
All in all, Nubia: Real One is a wonderful graphic novel about the typical Black American teenaged life – just one with super-strength....more
Small Pleasures is a historical fiction romance written by Clare Chambers. It centers on Jean Swinney who investigates a claim of parthenogenesis in GSmall Pleasures is a historical fiction romance written by Clare Chambers. It centers on Jean Swinney who investigates a claim of parthenogenesis in Gretchen Tibury, but in the process finds herself endearing towards the family.
Set in 1957, Jean Swinney is a single Englishwoman approaching forty who cares for her demanding mother and lives for the small pleasures in life – like pottering in her vegetable patch or loosening her girdle at the end of the day.
Jean works as features editor for the North Kent Echo. Her new assignment is to interview Gretchen Tilbury, who claims to have delivered a child through virgin birth. Wanting to keep an open mind, Jean meets with the no-nonsense Gretchen, who was confined to an all-female nursing home, St. Cecilia's, with rheumatoid arthritis at the time of conception.
Jean also meets Gretchen’s charming 10-year-old daughter, Margaret, and her dedicated husband, Howard. Jean arranges for Gretchen and Margaret to undergo medical tests at Charing Cross Hospital to prove if parthenogenesis actually took place. As the months pass, Jean becomes more and more enmeshed in the lives of the Tilbury family even as her friendship with Howard threatens to turn into something more.
Small Pleasures is written rather well. Chambers does an excellent job of recreating the austere texture of post Second World War England. Through Jean, Chambers creates a character who strives admirably to escape her cloistered existence and tenderly illuminating the hidden yearnings of small lives. Chambers' tone is sweet, but not overly saccharinely so.
All in all, Small Pleasures is a wonderful novel that celebrates the beauty and potential for joy in all things plain and unfashionable....more
This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us is an anthology of sixteen entries co-edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby. These siThis Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us is an anthology of sixteen entries co-edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby. These sixteen entries by celebrated authors of literature for young people center the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in pivotal moments of childhood and adolescence.
For the most part, this collection of short stories was written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. Editors and contributors Locke and Melleby assemble the works of sixteen authors and artists whose pieces present a wide range of LGBTQ experiences across genres and formats. Thirteen short stories, two comics, and one written in verse encompass this anthology of diversity. The result is a strong amalgam of confidently written portraits that consider the joys, pains, and complexities that can come with being young and queer.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions, but This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us may be the rare exception. Many of the protagonists feel a budding desire for close connection and they overcome self-doubt to reach for it. Not every infatuation works out, and sometimes feelings get hurt, but these outcomes lean toward recovery and personal growth while validating the sadness of loneliness. This collection breaks free from the dichotomy of representing LGBTQ+ lives as total tragedy or one-true-love, happily-ever-after coming-out stories.
All in all, This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us is a vital and liberating anthology perfect for middle graders....more
Swimmers in Winter is an anthology of six stories by Faye Guenther. This collection contains three pairs of astute stories about Canadian lesbians, thSwimmers in Winter is an anthology of six stories by Faye Guenther. This collection contains three pairs of astute stories about Canadian lesbians, the first one starting in the 1940s and the final one taking place sometime in the future. It has been shortlisted for the 2021 Toronto Book Awards.
For the most part, this collection of short stories was written and constructed rather well. Advertised as a trifecta of diptychs, any of the six pieces can stand well on their own, or can work in their pairs to flesh out the characters, the timeframe, and the realities of life for queer women in their communities. Offering an exploration of desire that spans the past, present, and future, the collection's structure and organization is as interesting to contemplate as the stories themselves.
Multifaceted women are the focus of the collection. There are assertive women who reckon with the options available to them in a moment designed to restrict their freedoms. There are loyal women who crave stability and a place to call home in the face of economic insecurity and danger. There are warrior women who have been damaged by forces beyond their control, yet who still fight to find connections and safety. They are all familiar, beautiful, and full of life with idiosyncrasies and flaws that are wonderfully and carefully rendered.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Swimmers in Winter is not an exception. Relatively speaking, they were all written well, but the middle or second pair of stories seems weaker than the first and third pairs, but written rather well nevertheless.
All in all, Swimmers in Winter is a wonderful soul-searching, plot-driven character studies of the past, present, and possible future for lesbian women....more
Crosshairs is a science fiction dystopia written by Catherine Hernandez. It imagines a repressive near future that feels like a slight exaggeration ofCrosshairs is a science fiction dystopia written by Catherine Hernandez. It imagines a repressive near future that feels like a slight exaggeration of the present. It has been shortlisted for the 2021 Toronto Book Awards.
Kay, born Keith Nopuente, describes himself as a: Queer Femme Jamaican Filipino man and is one of the Others – including LGBTQ, POC, and disabled people, who are being marginalized in a campaign to restore Canada to so-called order and tranquility in the wake of floods and food shortages that caused mass displacement in the country.
The Renovation, a government-sanctioned program, deploys Special Forces called the Boots to strip the Others of their rights in the name of providing food and shelter, rounding them up and forcing them to work in labor camps – or killing them for resisting.
Kay hides out first in Toronto with Liv, a white, queer ally of the Resistance, and then at Beck’s, another queer, white ally. As the characters band together, they take steps toward a drastic action to gain the country's attention.
Crosshairs is written rather well. Hernandez's searing if heavy-handed blend of dystopian fiction and social commentary conceives of a near future in which environmental disaster leads to a white supremacist regime in Canada. It is a scathing look at discrimination and capitalism in Herandez's eerily familiar look at Western culture. However, it is less of a cautionary tale, but often reads more like a how-to-ally manual. While the premise is well-imagined, the story suffers from a lack of nuance.
All in all, Crosshairs is a cautionary tale filled with fierce and vibrant characters, exploring the universal desire to thrive, love, and be loved for being one's true self....more
Dragman is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Steven Appleby. August Crimp is keeping a lot of secrets from his wife: since his teen years he'Dragman is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Steven Appleby. August Crimp is keeping a lot of secrets from his wife: since his teen years he's been dressing in women's clothes, because when wearing them he has the ability to fly and he used to be the superhero Dragman.
This all takes place in a world in which superheroes only save those folks with the proper insurance coverage and human souls can be removed from the body and then bought, sold, or stored on tiny disks.
An unknown murderer is targeting transgendered women, stealing their souls and dumping their bodies. August, who thought he'd put his crime-fighting days behind him, gets dragged back by his old sidekick, Dog Girl, and Cherry, a girl he saved.
Dragman is written and constructed rather well. The complex plot plays out with spirited color scenes of present-day action mixed with multiple flashbacks, shown in monochrome, including a few excerpts of news clippings and comics about the exploits of their superhero milieu. Despite its many twists and turns, the graphic novel’s emotional heart lays with August's struggle to accept his identity and its full power.
All in all, Dragman is a wonderful graphic novel of poignant humanity and a wonderful reflection on identity – all done with a modicum of lightheartedness....more
Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 is a graphic novel written illustrated by M.K. Czerwiec. It weaves together multiple threads of nonfTaking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 is a graphic novel written illustrated by M.K. Czerwiec. It weaves together multiple threads of nonfiction narratives in this profound graphic memoir of her early years as a nurse and her formative time working at an HIV/AIDS care unit starting in 1994.
MK Czerwiec is a registered nurse, cartoonist, educator, and co-founder of the field of Graphic Medicine.
Around this central strand of a caregiver’s experience, Czerwiec winds personal stories about patients, facts about the day-to-day job of a nurse, and in-depth medical explanations of HIV/AIDS, its effects on health, its treatments, and much more. In the sudden devastation of the AIDS crisis, the LGBTQ people most affected by it were abandoned to one another's care.
Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 is written and constructed rather well. Rather than the usual medical tales of professional-minded strangers treating faceless victims, Czerwiec's vignettes become about bonding intimately over suffering and death, watching the community be decimated at the same time as mutual nursing was building connections. Some of the pages are heart-wrenching, and the story has the potential to be supremely depressing, but Czerwiec wrings hope from the honesty of her simple, cheerful cartooning style.
All in all, Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 is an open, honest look at suffering, grief, and hope among a community of medical professionals and patients at the heart of the epidemic....more
Special Topics in Being a Human: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned the Hard Way about Caring for People, Including Myself is a graphic nSpecial Topics in Being a Human: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned the Hard Way about Caring for People, Including Myself is a graphic novel written by S. Bear Bergman and illustrated by Saul Freedman-Lawson. This delightful, neatly intersectional graphic compendium of advice tailored to a variety of situations lands as so down-to-earth that few readers will mind that it’s telling them what to do.
Bergman of the web advice column "Asking Bear," approaches his mission with humility, humor, and practicality. Each section contains numbered steps, considerations of context, and illustrations showcasing a refreshing range of human bodies. The artwork by Freedman-Lawson includes some examples drawn from the co-creators' real lives. Delivered with more than a spoonful of kindness, this medicine goes down easy and has the potential to facilitate real healing.
Special Topics in Being a Human: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned the Hard Way about Caring for People, Including Myself is written and constructed rather well. Bergman is an American trans man of Jewish heritage who has spent twenty-five years writing, performing, and educating about gender and sexuality issues, trans and Jewish experiences – simply human experiences. He might be best known for his advice column "Asking Bear," which offers more-or-less general advice but tends to favor letters focusing on minority or LGBTQ communities.
All in all, Special Topics in Being a Human: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned the Hard Way about Caring for People, Including Myself is a wonderful collection of comics that calls out social inequities and injustices in traditional advice-giving, which is generally targeted towards white, cis-gendered men....more
Rick is a middle grade contemporary romance written by Alex Gino. As Rick explores his identity and finds his footing in middle school, he stands up tRick is a middle grade contemporary romance written by Alex Gino. As Rick explores his identity and finds his footing in middle school, he stands up to his bully best friend.
Now that he's starting middle school, it seems that everyone expects Rick to turn into some sort of hormonal beast, but he worries that he's never had a crush. Though he hopes that the Rainbow Spectrum – an after-school club for LGBTQIAP+ rights, might provide answers, he hides his interest from his best friend Jeff – a homophobic bully.
As Rick begins to find words that describe his orientation (asexual, aromantic), he bonds with his fellow club members and is forced to consider his friendship with Jeff, whose bullying exempts Rick, but not his new friends, among them Melissa (from George). In addition to feeling accepted by his club peers, he begins conversations with family about his identity, but it's his deepening relationship with his Grandpa Ray, who loves cosplay, that provides Rick the safe space to be himself.
Rick is written rather well. Gino seamlessly introduces language to describe a variety of sexualities and gender identities through the perspective of Rick, who is learning many of the words for the first time. Although the book shares characters with George – it is a stand alone. The cast, including students of color, represents a spectrum of genders and sexualities with an emphasis on self-identification and encouragement of exploration.
All in all, Rick is a wonderful narrative that explores what it means to search for one's place in the world and all the steps one must take in order to get where one need to be – with the help of family and friends....more
The Heartbreak Bakery is a young adult contemporary romance with hints of magical realism written by A.R. Capetta. It centers on teenager Syd, who navThe Heartbreak Bakery is a young adult contemporary romance with hints of magical realism written by A.R. Capetta. It centers on teenager Syd, who navigates relationships and discovers a magical power.
In the wake of being dumped, 17-year-old agender baker Syd, who works at the Proud Muffin – South Austin's best queer bakery, accidentally infuses a batch of brownies with heartbreak and confusion, causing every couple who tries them to break up soon after.
Determined to fix the mistake, Syd teams up with Harley, a transmasculine, demisexual bike delivery person, to find the brownies' victims, starting with the Proud Muffin's owners, and cure them with more baked goods. However, as Syd and Harley navigate the intricacies of Austin's queer community in their quest to save relationships, they unexpectedly start one of their own and must figure out what they want from each other.
The Heartbreak Bakery is written rather well. Capetta's recipe for the narrative involves equal parts romantic comedy, heartfelt explorations of queer identity, and mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods, as well as interstitial recipes for treats such as Breakup Brownies and Very Sorry Cake. A natural chemistry between Syd and Harley and an intersectionally inclusive supporting cast help to fuel the narrative.
All in all, The Heartbreak Bakery is a sweet narrative that shows relationships don’t follow a particular set of rules or in this case, a recipe....more
Artie and the Wolf Moon is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Olivia Stephens. It centers on a girl that discovers she comes from a family of Artie and the Wolf Moon is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Olivia Stephens. It centers on a girl that discovers she comes from a family of werewolves, which finds her on a path to discovering her own abilities and history.
In Oregon, Black eighth grader Artemis "Artie" Irvin lives with her park ranger mother and attends Rosedale Middle School, where she spends much of her time in her school's darkroom, developing photos she's taken with her late father's camera and avoiding her racist, bullying white classmates.
One night, her world was swiftly upended when she witness her mother transforming from a wolf, after an illicit late-night jaunt for full moon photography. As late bloomer, Artie learns about her ancestors being werewolves, she soon realizes she has a heightened sense of smell, and eventually transforms into a werewolf herself.
Meeting fellow Black werewolves from her mother's hometown, including Maya, a new friend and infatuation, Artie discovers more about the father she never knew, as well as the wolves' sworn enemies – vampires.
Artie and the Wolf Moon is written and constructed rather well. Stephens offers a boldly outlined, dynamic full-color art, with lovable, distinct, and expressive Black characters and sweepingly cinematic panel progression. This vibrant, fast-paced werewolf tale rejuvenates the genre with themes of Black family, community, and history, offering accessible dialogue and re-imagining the folklore of werewolves with a striking premise that has somewhat payoff.
All in all, Artie and the Wolf Moon is a stirring, eye-catching portrayal of growth through a paranormal lens....more
Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is an autobiography memoir written by Cassandra Peterson. Peterson's autobiographical memoiYours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is an autobiography memoir written by Cassandra Peterson. Peterson's autobiographical memoir answers questions about the Elvira phenomenon and Peterson's meandering, difficult journey to stardom.
Cassandra Gay Peterson is an American actress, writer and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage persona as Elvira, hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre, a weekly B movie presentation.
It becomes immediately evident that Peterson's sense of humor and voice is the ingredient that made Elvira work in the first place, setting herself apart from those that were unable to combine the sex appeal and comedy that she is known for. Peterson's narration reads like an Elvira monologue throughout much of the book, even when she is relating the tales of her difficult childhood and her first attempts at breaking into show business as a go-go dancer and showgirl.
Peterson's distinct irreverent voice makes her story just as engaging when she is discussing living in an actual tree house in the hills of Hollywood and when she is relating how she first became Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Her narrative voice also allows the more harrowing and real elements of her story revolving around abuse or the witnessing of an actual murder outside of her apartment land with a shocking gravity.
Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is written rather well. Like Peterson's character, her autobiographical memoir will also interest a wide audience, from those looking for dirt on the many fellow celebrities that she has encountered over the years, to those looking for the behind-the-scenes creation of Elvira, to those looking for a heartfelt, engaging memoir.
All in all, Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is an unforgettably wild memoir loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences from the Queen of Halloween....more
The Cancer Journals is a collection of prose, poems, and selected journal entries written by Audre Lorde with an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. It deThe Cancer Journals is a collection of prose, poems, and selected journal entries written by Audre Lorde with an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. It deals with her struggle with breast cancer and relates it to her strong advocacy and identity in certain social issues such as lesbian, civil rights, and feminist issues.
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at least in my part of the world, I thought it would apropos to read this now. Furthermore, this year (2021) my mother celebrates five years remission from her battle with breast cancer.
Audre Lorde was an American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet, who dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.
In her mid-40s, Lorde was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy. Through prose, poems, and selected journal entries beginning six months after the surgery, the author explores the anger, pain, and fear that her illness wrought. Her recovery was characterized by resistance and learning to love her body again.
Lorde confronts tough questions, including the role of holistic and alternative treatments and whether her cancer and its recurrence were preventable. She writes of eschewing "superficial spirituality" and repeatedly rejecting the use of prosthesis because it felt like "a lie" at precisely the time she was seeking new ways of strength and trying to find the courage to tell the truth.
The Cancer Journals is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. After many decades, this collection remains a raw reckoning with illness and death as well as a challenge to the conventional expectations of women with cancer. Universally, Lorde's rage and the clarity that follows offer readers a blueprint for facing mortality and living boldly in the little time we have. In short, it is an empowering compilation, which is equal parts heartbreaking, beautiful, and timeless.
This particular edition contains an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. Smith explores the inner thoughts of Lorde and how her collection of prose, poetry, and journal entries impacted the ways women and eventually the medical industry views women with breast cancer.
All in all, The Cancer Journals showcases Lorde's big heart and fierce mind in this deeply personal and deeply political collection....more
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